Before the fourteenth century, the population of Europe was growing rapidly, even more so than production of agriculture. In the late 1340s, one of the most catastrophic event in documented history swept across the continent. The Black Death, which is believed to be originated from infectious animals in Central Asia, spread East through the Silk Road and reached city of Caffa. Mongols who were victims to the plague threw dead bodies over the walls of Caffa, which began the spread of disease in Europe. Although its peak was between 1347 and 1351, the Black Death lasted for over a century, hitting different regions in Europe and around the world at different periods of time. The Black Death, or the plague, resulted in the death of almost half
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At the same time, the fear of the disease led to the abandonment of daily routines. Robert S. Gottfried, a Professor of History and Director of Medieval Studies at the Rutgers University, explains that people were isolating themselves in their own homes, not allowing contact from anyone outside their household. “Peasants no longer ploughed, merchants closed their shops, and some, if not all, churchmen stopped offering last rites” (Gottfried 78). No one wanted to be outside as no one could escape the plague. Giovanni Boccaccio, an Italian poet and Renaissance humanist who wrote The Decameron, which was written at the time of the plague, claims that the disease did not only affect people who were in physical contact with the sick, but even those who touched their clothes or other objects used by the victims became infected, too (Boccaccio 6). He explains that “in most cases death occurred within three days” after symptoms of swellings, blotches, bruises and others (Boccaccio 6). These immediate effects led to a much bigger and long-lasting impact. A Professor of History at the Catholic University of America in Washington who specializes in the history of England, Lawrence Raymond Poos, elaborates that the next couple of centuries after the Black Death were a “period of relative labour scarcity” (Poos 208). Because labor was scarce, …show more content…
They also started associating with doctors to begin treating their patients. Before the outbreak, there was only one hospital in Bury St. Edmunds that had a medical associate from the University of Cambridge, and a century after the plague started, all of the hospitals in Bury St. Edmunds had associations with doctors (Legan 54). Many more people also began studying to become surgeons. According to Legan, one English surgeon who served King Edward III by the name of John Arderne published his own book, Practica, which is about his experience during the plague. It provides illustrations of plants and herbs used in recipe of making medicine. It also has specific illustrations on practical functions that demonstrate surgical techniques. T. McW. Millar from the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh further elaborates Arderne’s account by providing a manuscript of the Practica and claiming it a “human and enlightening document” because in it, Arderne writes about the requirements to be a “successful surgeon” as Arderne himself had “high ethical principles” (Millar 77). This marked the beginning of advancement towards modern medicine, encouraging social solidarity as more people are leaning to the medical field, uniting together to find a cure, which contributed to the evolution of society in the earlier
At the same time, the fear of the disease led to the abandonment of daily routines. Robert S. Gottfried, a Professor of History and Director of Medieval Studies at the Rutgers University, explains that people were isolating themselves in their own homes, not allowing contact from anyone outside their household. “Peasants no longer ploughed, merchants closed their shops, and some, if not all, churchmen stopped offering last rites” (Gottfried 78). No one wanted to be outside as no one could escape the plague. Giovanni Boccaccio, an Italian poet and Renaissance humanist who wrote The Decameron, which was written at the time of the plague, claims that the disease did not only affect people who were in physical contact with the sick, but even those who touched their clothes or other objects used by the victims became infected, too (Boccaccio 6). He explains that “in most cases death occurred within three days” after symptoms of swellings, blotches, bruises and others (Boccaccio 6). These immediate effects led to a much bigger and long-lasting impact. A Professor of History at the Catholic University of America in Washington who specializes in the history of England, Lawrence Raymond Poos, elaborates that the next couple of centuries after the Black Death were a “period of relative labour scarcity” (Poos 208). Because labor was scarce, …show more content…
They also started associating with doctors to begin treating their patients. Before the outbreak, there was only one hospital in Bury St. Edmunds that had a medical associate from the University of Cambridge, and a century after the plague started, all of the hospitals in Bury St. Edmunds had associations with doctors (Legan 54). Many more people also began studying to become surgeons. According to Legan, one English surgeon who served King Edward III by the name of John Arderne published his own book, Practica, which is about his experience during the plague. It provides illustrations of plants and herbs used in recipe of making medicine. It also has specific illustrations on practical functions that demonstrate surgical techniques. T. McW. Millar from the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh further elaborates Arderne’s account by providing a manuscript of the Practica and claiming it a “human and enlightening document” because in it, Arderne writes about the requirements to be a “successful surgeon” as Arderne himself had “high ethical principles” (Millar 77). This marked the beginning of advancement towards modern medicine, encouraging social solidarity as more people are leaning to the medical field, uniting together to find a cure, which contributed to the evolution of society in the earlier